Foreign Office on 3 January 1843, on behalf of the Earl of Aberdeen: Treaty signed between Pottinger and China’s Plenipotentiary (中國特使) is yet to be made public until the ratification by the Queen of England and Tsing Emperor.
Yet before the treaty was ratified, the Secretary Richard Woosnam declared on 13 April 1843 that Land Officer taking full control of land uses in Hong Kong, and effort being taken to make Hong Kong a self-supporting colony, proposal to construct a road making a complete circuit of the Island, in order to become a healthy/desirable place of residence for British subjects as well as a focus/centre of large commerce.
On 22 July 1843 H. Pottinger proclaimed the ratification of Nankin Treaty signed.
On 22 January 1844, first land auction was conducted with over 100 lots sold, all buyers were British, Parsi Indians, Europeans, or Americans, with Strachan and Jamsetjee purchasing the most.
On 17 February 1844, it is reported: “The necessity of raising a Revenue for the Colony is evident. The policy of making Victoria a free port, is also generally admitted. There appears that no other means by which Revenue can be derived, than the public lands, licences and other trifling resources.” Ever since such an objective was articulated, land sale has become of major source of Hong Kong Revenue. As such, fewer lots were offered in future land auctions, even though the number of buyers, including Chinese merchants, kept growing. Some of these earlier sold land lots (about 116 total, some sold in 1841) were turned into buildings and/or sold in the secondary market.
On 10 July 1844 it was reported that “Chunam died at Canton last week; he was the first and so far, the only Chinese Merchant, who had purchased property and established a business in the colony. His death is ascribed to a cold caught some months ago, when his new house was yet damp and unfit to sleep in.”
On 9 July 1844 land sales again with only 12 inland lots plus 12 marine lots.
On 24 December 1844, land sale with 16 lots, two Chinese buyers, Chan Wan and Chung Sang.
On 16 June 1845, Parsee firms not remove to HK, 2 English firms abandoned HK in 3 months by confining operations to Canton, several firms established in the past 6 months have no offices in HK. "In face of these undesirable facts, pennywise rulers busy inventing new taxes and imposts. Betel and pawn to be taxed or made a strict monopoly, and yet we are told HK is a free port!! Property is to be assessed, though from the usurious ground rent paid to government, rent is already higher than in any colony we possess."
On 3 September 1845, building fell while being built.
On 6 September 1845, tax on sand stones 要收砂石稅
On 13 December 1845, 44 land lots were sold with Chinese as major buyers.
On 26 August 1848, comparison of Singapore vs HK. Singapore colony 29 years, HK 5; Singapore main revenue exercise duties, HK land rent; Singapore population 35k, HK 1/3.
早期政府主要收入：賣（租）地、郵局、法院、各種名目稅和壟斷費（如妓院、鴉片館、當舖、屠宰、採石等）等
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